Athol Desk

The Taylor Donsker Furniture Company epitomizes exploration and imagination through its use of the forms, colors, grains and textures of wood. By complementing the dark luster of walnut with materials such as polished granite, each desk, bench and cabinet becomes a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted creation.

Taylor Donsker — the company’s founder — attended the University of Southern California (USC) for architecture. After graduation, not many firms were hiring, so in his spare time, Donsker explored woodworking and furniture design in his parents’ garage.

He eventually landed a job at an architecture firm, but found that the use of computers gave him a feeling of detachment. With woodworking and furniture design, he was able to feel connected to each project.

In 2012, Donsker presented his furniture at a design show and soon began receiving orders. The success led him to find inspiration in the trees themselves. In an interview with USC, Donsker said, “Now, I look at the roots of a redwood and see a chaise lounge, the stump of a eucalyptus tree that should be a throne.”

Donsker currently makes 10 to 15 large-scale pieces per year for an international clientele. Every wood is carefully considered for inclusion in a new furniture item, including its grain, texture and coloration.

On 1stDibs, explore Taylor Donsker’s seating, tables, storage pieces and more.

Organic modern furniture is characterized by clean lines, an overall uncomplicated aesthetic and a prioritizing of natural, sustainable materials, such as wood and stone. There are lots of earth tones and natural-world textures rather than bright color palettes or fabrics embellished with busy patterns.

Organic furniture is minimalist and, owing to the ideas of venerable architect Frank Lloyd Wright, designed for warm spaces that promote harmony between human habitation and the great outdoors. Organic modern design, including in furniture and architecture, emerged in the 1930s.

Designers such as Andrianna Shamaris, Alguacil & Perkoff and Jörg Pietschmann — all known for organic modern design — have created furniture that brings dynamic and unpredictable energy to home interiors while emphasizing the importance of a relationship with the natural world.

Striking an appealing balance between our living spaces and nature doesn't have to be an arduous task — the broad selection of original organic modern furniture on 1stDibs includes solid wood tables, bamboo seating options, hand-knotted wall tapestries and more.

Vintage desks and writing tables span centuries of design. The writing table came first, a simple surface built for correspondence, while the drawered desk followed as record-keeping at home and in the office grew more demanding.

Styles to Know

Any desk at least 20 years old falls under this broader vintage category. If you want a tapered-leg, mid-century look specifically, browse mid-century modern desks; Louis XVI and Art Deco secretary desks bridge the writing-table and desk forms. A vintage table lamp adds task lighting to either.

How to Choose the Right Vintage Piece

Writing tables often carry little to no storage of their own, so a separate file cabinet or desk organizer may be worth planning for, alongside a close look at the surface dimensions against the space available. Each piece comes from a vetted 1stDibs seller, with era, designer and condition detailed, and every purchase is covered by the 1stDibs Promise.